Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-05
THE MOUND BUILDERS OF OHIO.
Professor Putnam's Address Ancient
Americans.

THE MOUND BUILDERS OF OHIO.
Professor Putnam's Address Ancient
Americans.
Professor F. W. Putnam, curator Of
Peabody museum at Cambridge. Mass,
and perhaps the most distinguished arch
Western Reserve Historical society the
other evening on the mounds and mound
builders Of Ohio. Professor Putnam has
spent two months in exploring the great
serpent mound in Adams county. There
were" said the speaker. -four great
antique races on this continent. or the
people, if of one race, show greater d.
versity than any other on earth. For
instance. we found in one mound III Ohio
800 skeletons, and these We're of vari-
Gus sizes and differed in their character
istics. The four great races can he
resolved into two-the long headed peo-
pie and the people with short and broad
heads. There is evidence that the long
headed people came from northern Asia,
and, crossing Behring strait. continued
their way downward us far as California.
Then they crossed 10 the great lakes.
went down the ST. Lawrence. made their
way along the Atlantic coast rs far south
as North C;rolina. and spread themselves
into Ohio and Pennsylvania. There is
evidence that they resemblel the people
Of northern Asia in face and form.
"The short headed people had the char
acteristics of the people of southern Asia.
and n,semhled the Malay race. The first
traces of them we find in Peru and Cen
tral America. From there they worked
toward the north into Mexico. New
Mexico, Arizona, and following the rivers
which empty into the gulf of Mexico.
notably the Mississippi. they mingled at
last with the long headed people in Ten
nessee and Ohio. and We're finally alb
sorbed by them. The Indian is descen-
dant of those two races" The speaker
then went on TO describe the mounds
built by these people. He told how the
former method of digging a hole in the
center of the mound. which was at first
practiced by explorers. has been aban-
done,i for a more exhaustive method of
research. Professor Putnam does not
eXCavate the mounds. but slices them of
in perpendicular sections until the whole
mound has been laid open to inspection.
He described at length the use of the
mounds for burial. and said there were
many ways Ill which the bodies were
prepared for intermcnt. Sometimes they |
We're crematej aud sometimes simply laid |
in the ground; sometimes a rough stone |
tomb surrounded the bodies. sometimes q |
sort of log house work of timber.
Besides the burial moun!s. there are |
other mounds, said the speakss That |
IS. mounds used for great religious cere- /
monies. l ha~e been making explora-
ions in the Little Miami valley, and am
glad at this time 10 pay a tribute To the
work of Col. Whittlesay in the Little
Miami valley. To him we owe much of |
'ur information of the ancient Lake
superior mining. as well as of the mounds
If the Little Miami valley. The mounds
n that valley are sacrel mounds; that is,
hey were for the purpose of sacrifice and
elIgious ceremonies. On these mounds
Tres Were kindled and sacrifices were
nade-not human sacrifices, but sacri-
ices to the fire. In one of these mounds
We found terra Gotta figures. beautifully
arred and perfect representations of
'eople in a perfect attitude of rest, and
here was nothing 10 suggest action.
here were, besides, these stone Of i'm
ges of fine shape. There were copper
'endants and thousands of copper beads.
lany earrings were found Of copper COW
red with native silver. and over 60, 900
earls. Ii seemed AZ if all the pearls of
II the tribes had been cast upon this
ltar. We have found these affairs in
everal mounds. and sometimes we found
-veral affairs. SO you SEE many of the
reat mounds were for other purposes
nan burial
Having spoken of the mounds, the
Deaker introduced the subject of the
.rpent in Adams county. The SER
ent. y said he, ''was worshiped by the
lexicans and Peruvians. and it appar.
ltly served some purpose among the an
ent people of Ohio. We have one rep
Of it in Adams county. 1t is
he only one on earth. 1t is partly of
one. but principally of earth" The
'eaker then described its size and gave
me facts concerning it which are
miliar to all people who have read his
ries OF America or even of ancient
hIo. The property surrounding the SER
mt to the extent Of sixty acres has been ,
irchased for the Peabody museum by /:
oston ladies, and is now in the hands OF
rotcssor Putnam. who has already made '
me explorations into the mounds sur ,
'Inding and adjacent to the serpent,
lth very encouraging results He has !
Gnd In the mounds skeletons Of peo-
who must have belonged to different J
as. Whose bodies must have been laid {
the mound by people who were not !
ware that mounds had been used by Z
her people for the same purpose before. l
ofessor Putnam hopes to make exten- |
'e explorations, from which he thinks !
luable facts concerning the mound ,
ilders will lie learned. - Cleveland
erald.